Welcome

At Contemplative Outreach of New Mexico our primary purpose is to teach the method of Centering Prayer and to offer practices that bring its fruits into daily life. We offer Centering Prayer workshops, prayer days, retreats and formation programs. Our programs are designed to present the richness of the Christian Contemplative Heritage in an updated and accessible format.

Centering Prayer is drawn from our Christian Contemplative Heritage, notably the
Fathers and Mothers of the Desert, the monastic practice of Lectio Divina, the
anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing and the writings of St. John of the Cross, and Saint Teresa of Avila. Centering Prayer was distilled into a simple method of prayer in the 1970's by three Trappist monks; Thomas Keating, Basil Pennington and William Menninger. Scripture references include;
“When you pray Go to your inner room, close the door and pray to your Father in
secret…….”
Matthew 6;6
“Be still and know that I am God” Psalm 46:10

Advent
Charm with your stainlessness these winter
nights, skies, and be perfect!
Fly vivider in the fiery dark, you quiet meteors,
And disappear.
You moon, be slow to go down,
This is your full!

The four white roads make off in silence
Towards the four parts of the starry universe.
Time falls like manna at the corners of the wintry
earth.
We have become more humble than the rocks,
More wakeful than the patient hills.Read Full Poem... by Thomas Merton

Contemplative Outreach of New Mexico

is under the guidance of Contemplative Outreach, Ltd., a world wide spiritual network. Contemplative Outreach was established to bring this ancient prayer practice out of the monastic milieu to those in our contemporary society.